by James Ryder
This one ends after 5 innings due to mercy rule. Final Score: Thunder 11, Hurricanes 2. Heres the Thunder coach on what it took to win big: pic.twitter.com/EaPjawIpm4
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 8, 2019
The first game of a double header between the LI Hurricanes and the 11u Thunder was a blowout Saturday morning at Plainedge Park. The Thunder rattled off 7 runs in the first inning and cruised to an 11-2 win.
It started with a leadoff walk by Charlie Nella, who stole first base and then scored when Taylor Nitsch hit a ground ball to shortstop. Nitsch reached first safely when the first baseman dropped the ball allowing Nella to advance home. The next batter, Ben Cohen, almost recreated the scenario by hitting another grounder to SS. This time, however, it was an infield single which scored Nitsch following a stolen base for the second run of the game.
Aiden McCarthy singled to center field and reached second on the throw home. The throw was not in time to make it 3-0 Thunder. TJ Innes drove McCarthy home with a double to left field followed by an RBI infield single by John Colvin. A single from Mikey Calapai gave the Thunder second and third base. Tyler Gribbin hit a ground ball to the third baseman who couldn’t handle the ball. Colvin went home and then a Nella single scored the final run of the inning making it 7-0.
The score remained until the bottom of the second inning. Dylan Cerone led off and reached first base due to an error by the second baseman. Cerone went on to steal both second and third base before Ryan Maida’s bunt brought him home for the Hurricanes’ first run of the day. PC Coan and Aaron Pace hit back-to-back singles, but LI couldn’t cut the lead any further.
Gribbin got on base in the top of the third inning with a single to LF. He stole second and advance to third on a pass ball. Nella walked and a pass ball to Nitsch scored Gribbin for 11u’s 8th run. Nitsch quickly followed it up with and RBI single to CF bringing the score to 9-1.
The Thunder gained their largest lead of the game in the fourth inning when they scored their final two runs for a 10-run lead. McCarthy hit a leadoff double to CF and moved to third base on Luke Walsh’s groundout come backer. Then, Innes singled to RF, scoring McCarthy. After Innes stole second base, Calapai drove him home with a single to LF. The Thunder were now up 11-1.
The Hurricane’s comeback attempts only birthed one last run. In the bottom of the fourth, Jake Madsen hit a sac-fly RBI to CF which brought Pace into score. This would also be the last run of the game, which was ended when the fifth inning concluded due to mercy rule. 11u’s 7-run first inning was too much for LI to keep. Final Score: Thunder 11, Hurricanes 2.
